Inking system for high speed printers



1959 A. P. LANG 2,869,454

INKING SYSTEM FOR HIGH SPEED PRINTERS Filed April 11, 1956 26f 28 22 vINVENTOR 2 ALBERT PETER LANG AGENT United States Patent 2,869,454 INKINGSYSTEM FOR HlGH SPEED PRINTERS Albert Peter Lang, Philadelphia, Pa.,assiguor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation ofDelaware Application April 11, 1956, Serial No. 577,572

24 Claims. (Cl. 10193) The present invention relates to improved printersystems of the type employing type wheels associated with printinghammers; and is more particularly concerned with an improved printerarrangement which eliminates the need of inked ribbons in effectingprint transfers.

As is well known at the present time, various printer arrangements,particularly those adapted for high speed printing operations, maycomprise one or more type wheels having a plurality of charactersdisposed thereon, in aligned or staggered relation to one another, in aplurality of substantially parallel rows; and such type wheels may inturn be associated with selectively actuated hammers disposed adjacentsaid characters. In the operation of such printer arrangements, the typewheel is ordinarily rotated at a relatively high constant speed, andprint receiving material, such as a card, is fed past the rotatingperiphery of the said type wheel between the characters thereon and aplurality of aligned printing hammers. The said hammers are in turnactuated selectively by an appropriate control system which is adaptedto simultaneously depress a plurality of hammers at given selectedinstants during rotation of the said type wheel, whereby a plurality ofspaced characters are simultaneously printed in a single line on theprint receiving material.

In effecting high speed printing in the foregoing manner, printers knownheretofore ordinarily employ an inked ribbon which is also caused topass between the character bearing periphery of the said type ,wheel andthe said selectively actuated printing hammers; and the use of suchinked ribbons has imposed appreciable difliculties in the efficient andeconomical operation of high speed printers. in particular, it has beenfound that the ribbons tend to break down in a relatively short timeunder the incessant pounding of the printing hammers; and this in turnnecessitates relatively frequent ribbon replacement. Inasmuch as theribbons are costly and known systems of high speed printers requireconsiderable time in ribbon replacement, the use of such ribbonsincreases substantially the cost of maintenance and operation in highspeed printers.

The present invention provides an improved inking system whicheliminates the need of inked ribbons of the type utilized heretofore;and in particular, contemplates the provision of an inking rollerdisposed in contiguity with the rotating type wheel for regularly inkingall the characters thereon. The use of such an inking roller system,however, is attended by a major difficulty which has prevented the useof such rollers on type wheel printers in the past. In particular, itwill be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that during printingof a given line of identical characters, a plurality of spaced hammersare selectively actuated simultaneously with one another. When twospaced characters are thus printed simultaneously by simultaneousactuation of two spaced hammers, the print receiving material or cardwill tend to be carried into contact with the type wheel at an areaintermediate positions adjacent the actuated hammers, and inasmuch asthis intermediate area would be adjacent ink bearing characters, thesaid intermediate area would also be printed by the said inkedcharacters even though print hammers associated with these intermediatecharacters have not in fact been actuated.

Thus, in the past it has been considered impractical to utilize rollerinking systems with plural-character typewheels, inasmuch as theattempted printing of two widely spaced characters by the actuation oftwo spaced hammers in fact results in the printing of a plurality ofundesired characters between the desired characters associated with thesaid actuated hammers. In accordance with the present invention, thisresult is obviated through the utilization of spacers disposed betweencolumns of characters on the type wheel whereby printing is restrictedto areas operatively associated with an actuated hammer, and both ghostsand adjacent printing are thereby eliminated. The use of such spacers,in addition to permitting use of the improved inking system contemplatedby the present invention, also acts to prevent the print receivingmedium from jamming" during a printing operation whereby the overallprinter exhibits considerably better operating characteristics than hasbeen the case heretofore.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide animproved high speed printing arrangement.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of animproved inking system for use with rotating type-wheels.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a high speed printing arrangement which eliminates the need of aninked ribbon in effecting print transfers.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an improved printer structure which restricts printing to a desiredarea on a print receiving medium, and which eliminates undesirableghosts and adjacent printing.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of animproved printer employing rotating typewheels and adapted to utilizemetered liquid ink in place of conventional ribbons in eifecting printtransfers.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a printer arrangement which is less costly to operate and maintainand which exhibits better printing characteristics than has been thecase heretofore.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of thepresent invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a representation of an improved high speed printerconstructed in accordance with the present invention and utilizing theimproved inking system and protective Wire system characteristic of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is an exaggerated representation taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,illustrating the protective wire arrangement of the present invention;and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 33 of Figure 2. 7

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that a high speedprinter in accordance with the present invention may comprise one ormore rotating type-wheels 10 driven by a motor 11 and having a pluralityof raised characters 12 disposed in rows and columns on the peripherythereof. A plurality of hammers, such as 13, are disposed adjacentexternal periphery of wheel 10in a row substantially parallel to theaxis of said type wheel 10; and a print receiving medium 14, such as apunch card, may be caused to selectively feed between the printinghammers 13 and the characters 12 on type wheel 10. In effecting aprinting operation, selected ones of the hammers 13 are actuated by ahammer actuator 15 during rotation of type Wheel 10, whereby a completeline of ditferent characters may be printed along the medium 14 bysuccessive simultaneous actuating operations of preselected hammers 13.

The actual printing controls which are adapted to actuate selecteddiiferent ones of the hammers 13 at appropriate times during rotation oftype wheel thereby to effect the printing of different characters atdifferent positions along the print line on medium 14, do not per secomprise the present invention; and various controls for printersoperating generally in the fashion described, are known to those skilledin the art.

As has been discussed previously, printing arrangements of the typeshown in Figure 1 ordinarily include means feeding an elongated, wideinked ribbon between printing hammers 13 and characters 12 along withthe print receiving material 14, whereby the said ribbon and the printreceiving material are simultaneously depressed onto a selectedcharacter 12 thereby to effect the desired print transfer. This use ofribbons is subject to the distinct disadvantages already described. Inorder to obviate th disadvantages attending the use of inked ribbons,the present invention contemplates the use of an inking rollerarrangement similar to those employed in conventioal analox systems.

In particular, a liquid ink bath 16 is provided, and a fountain roll 17is caused to rotate through the said bath 16. An analox roll 18 isdisposed adjacent the fountain roll 17, with the rolls 17 and 18 havinga relatively high pressure between the peripheral surfaces thereof. Theanalox roll 18 normally has a knurled surface whereby the recessesformed by said knurling pick up and retain a metered amount of ink fromthe peripheral surface of fountain roll 17 during rotataion of the saidrolls 17 and 18. A plate roll 19, preferably having a rubber surface, isdisposed in contiguity with the analox roll 18 at a point 20, thereby topick up the metered ink supply present in the recesses on the knurledsurface of analox' roll 18. Plate roll 19 is in further contiguity at apoint 21 with the type wheel 10 whereby rotation of the type wheel 10and of the several rollers 17, 18 and 19, effect a constant transfer ofink to successive characters 12 on type wheel 10. These inked characters12 are caused to move by rotation of type wheel 10 to a positionadjacent print hammers 13, whereby actuation of selected ones of thesaid hammers 13 effects print transfers onto medium 14 adjacent theactuated hammers.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that, in theabsence of any other structure, incorrect printing could well result,and in fact would ordinarily result, on medium 14 during actuation ofspaced ones of the printing hammers 13. Thus, if we should considerinitially that five print hammers 13, in alignment with one another, areso actuated by actuator 15 that the first and fifth hammers aredepressed while the hammers between said first and fifth hammers are notdepressed, the required printing operation should effect printedcharacters adjacent the first and fifth hammers but not adjacent thesecond, third, or fourth hammers. In actual practice, however, andassuming that the staggered character arrangement shown in Figure 2 isemployed, depression of the first and fifth hammers will tend to carrythe print receiving medium between said first and fifth hammers intocontact with the characters 12 located on type wheel 10 between thefirst and fifth hammer. Inasmuch as these characters are already inkedby the arrangement of rolls 17 through 19 and ink bath 16, at least thatcharacter associated with the third hammer will be printed upon themedium 14 even though the said third hammer has not been actuated.Moreover, if the characters 12 were all aligned rather than staggered,the actuation of two spaced hammers would, in the absence othercircumstances, effect undesired printing of all the characters betweenthe actuated hammers. In order to obivate this clearly undesirableadjacent printing result, which has prevented the elimination of ribbonsin the past, the present invention contemplates the provision of aprotective wire or spacer system which serves to restrict the actualprinting of characters to those areas of the medium 14 which arepositively associated with actuated hammers.

Thus, referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that in accordancewith this further feature of the present invention, a supportingstructure comprising a pair of relatively massive plates 22 and 23, maybe disposed adjacent the type wheel 10. Plates 2'2 and 23 include aplurality of pins 24 and 25 which in turn support a plurality of wires26. In actual practice, the plurality of wires 26 may comprise a singleelongated wire fastened at its ends to pins such as 24a and 24b, andstrung in alternating relation over the pluralities of pins 24- and 25.The wires 26 are strung as taut as practicable and are disposedsubstantially transverse to the axis of type wheel 10, in spacedrelationto one another and to the surface of characters 12, and roughlytangent to the said characters 12 on the said type wheel at positionsbetween the columns of the said characters 12.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2, the several characters 12are illustrated as a staggered row of As, and it will be appreciatedthat this particular representation is only partial, in that the typewheel 10 will contain similar rows of Bs, Cs, Ds, etc. as well as othercharacters which may desirably be printed during a given printoperation. It will further be seen from an examination of Figure 2 thatthe wires 26, being disposed between adjacent characters 12, positivelyrestrict printing to an area associated directly with an actuatedhammer. Thus, if hammers adjacent characters 12a and 125 shouldsimultaneously be actuated, the print receiving medium 14 will bedepressed slightly between wires 26a and 26b,

and between wires 26c and 26d, thereby to effect the desired printing;but wires 26c and 26 will support intermediate portions of the printreceiving material away from character 12c, thereby to prevent anyprinting of this intermediate character.

Thus, the provision of the protective wire system. illustrated inFigures 1 and 2, permits the use of an inking roller system therebyeliminating the need of an inked ribbon and at the same time positivelyprevents incorrect printing results which might be effected as a resultof using the inking system with the high speed printers employedheretofore.

The several Wires 26 disposed between characters 12, are maintained inprecise alignment between those characters through the provision ofgrooves, such as 27 and 28 illustrated in Figure 3, in the plates 22 and23. The grooves 27 and 28 may be disposed :along the face of the saidplates 22 and 23; or may, in the alternative, comprise guidingprojections or depressions on the said plates 22 and 23. In addition, itshould be noted that while the outer faces of plates 22 land 23, whichsupport Wires 26, have been illustrated as co-linear land planar inFigure 1, other arrangements may be effected. In particular, thesupporting faces of plates 22 and 23 may, for example, be arcualte ifdesired.

It must be stressed that the representation of wires 26, pins 24 and 25,type wheel 10 and characters 12 have been considerably exaggerated inFigures 1 and 2. In actual practice, the wires 26 may comprise a steelwire between six and twelve mils in diameter. In addition, the pins 24and 25 are so spaced from one another that adjacent runs of wire 26,such as wires 26a and 2612, are spaced from one another by approximatelymils. Moreover, it should be noted tha t the wires 26 are spacedsomewhat from the type faces 12, to effect the desired support functionof the printing medium as already described. A preferred spacing betweenthe wires 26 and the outer periphery of characters 12 is on the order ofnine mils.

' It should further'be noted that the massive plates 22 and 23 arespaced from one another adjacent the print ing hammers 13 to define aprint opening designated as '12 are not staggered, special care may benecessary to assure that the precise spacing of wires 26 is maintainedacross the print opening 29, and (the actual dimensions of this openingwill, therefore, vary with the particular operating characteristics andtype of character alignment employed.

Still other modifications will be suggested to those slcilled in theart, and the fioregoing description is, therefore, meant to beillustrative only and should not be considered limitative of myinvention. All such modifications as are in accord with the principlesdescribed are meant to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having aplurality of individual characters spaced from one another in a row onthe periphery thereof, selectively actuated hammer means disposedadjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving mediumbetween said hammer means and said characters, and means for supportingsaid medium in spaced relation to said characters comprising apluralityof elongated thin spacers disposed substantially tangent to and inspaced relation to the periphery of said type wheel, said elongated thinspacers having a diameter less than the spacing between adjacent ones ofsaid individual characters, said plurality of thin spacers being inspaced substantially parallel relation to one another and being disposedsubstantially transverse to the axis of said type wheel at positionsbetween said individual characters respectively.

2. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having aplurality of characters spaced from one another on the peripherythereof, a plurality of selectively actulalted printing hammers disposedadjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving mediumbetween said hammers and said characters, and means for supporting saidmedium in spaced relation to said characters comsubstantially transverseto the axis of said typewheel at positions between said charactersrespectively, said spacers comprising a plurality of taut winessupported in spaced relation to one another adjacent the periphery ofsaid typewheel.

3. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical typewheel having aplurality of characters spaced from one another on the peripherythereof, a plurality of selectively actuated printing hammers disposedadjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving mediumbetween said hammers and said characters, and means for supporting saidmedium in spaced relation to said characters comprising a plurality ofelongated spacers disposed substantially tangent to the periphery ofsaid typewheel and substantially transverse to the axis of saidstypewheel at positions between said characters respectively, saidelongated spacers comprising a supporting structure adjacent saidtypewhecl, and an elongated wire tau'tly strung bet-ween spaced pointson said supporting structure thereby to define a plurality of wiresections substantially parallel to 5. In a printer, a substantiallycylindrical type wheel having raised character faces spaced from oneanother and disposed closely adjacent to one another on the periphery ofsaid type wheel in rows disposed substantially parallel to the of saidtype Wheel, means for rotating said (type Wheel, means for applyingliquid ink to said character faces during rotation of said type wheel,means for passing a print receiving medium adjacent the rotatingperiphery of said type wheel, and means fior supporting said printreceiving medium in spaced relation to said inked character facescomprising a plurality of elongated substantially parallel spacersdisposed between said medium and said character faces, each of saidspacers having a dimension, (transverse to the direction of elongationof said spacer, which is no greater than the spacing between adjacentones of said character faces, said elongated spacers being disposedtransverse to said rows and substantially "tangent to and spaced fromsaid type wheel with each of said spacers being respectively positionedin ermediate adjacent ones of said spaced character faces.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means applying ink comprisesa bath of liquid ink, and roller means for transferring ink from saidbath to said raised character 'faces.

7. in a printer, a substantially cylindrical typewheel having raisedcharacter faces spaced from one another on the periphery thereof in rowsdisposed substantially parallel to the axis of said typewheel, means forrotating said typewlieel, a bath of liquid ink, means fortransferringink from said bath to said raised characterfaces during.rota t rotatablysupp'orted in said ink bath, 'a second roller-having \aknurled surface contiguous with the surface ofsaid first roller, and'athird roller contiguous with the surfaces both of said second roller andof said cylindrical typewheel, means for passing a print receivingmedium adjacent the rotating periphery of said typcwheel, and means forsupporting said print receiving medium in spaced relation to saidcharacter faces comprising a plurality of elongated substantiallyparallel spacers disposed between said medium and said character faces,said elongated spacers comprising taut wires disposed substantiallytangent to and spaced from said typewheel at positions between saidspaced character faces.

8. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having aplurality of characters spaced from one another on the periphery thereofin rows disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said type Wheel,and a printing station adjacent said type wheel, said printing stationinclud-ing a plurality of taut wires spaced from the periphery of saidtype wheel and disposed substantially parallel to (one another atpositions respectively between said characters.

9. The combination of claim 8 including an inking stawtion adjacent saidtype wheel, said inking station including roller means for transferringliquid ink from an ink bath o said characters at a position removed fromsaid printing station.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said printing station includes aplurality of selectively actuated hammers, and means for passing .aprint receiving medium between said hammers and said taut wires.

11. In a printer, a type wheel having a plurality of spaced characterson the periphery thereof, means for rotating said type wheel, saidcharacters being disposed in rows substantially parallel to the axis ofrotation of said type wheel, means for inking said characters duringrotation of said type Wheel, a plurality of printing hammers adjacentsaid type wheel, means for passing a print receiving medium between saidhammers and said inked characters, means for actuating selected ones ofsaid hammers whereby said selected hammers force selected portions ofsaid medium into contact with selected ones of said inked characters,and means ior supporting portions of said medium adjacent non actuatedones of said of said typewheel comprising a first roller hammers inspaced relation to said inked characters, said supporting meansincluding a plurality of wires spaced from the periphery of said typewheel and disposed between the said characters.

12. The combination of claim 11 including structural means for tautlysupporting said wires in substantially parallel relation to one anotherbetween said characters in said rows, said wires being disposedsubstantially transverse to the axis of rotation of said type wheel.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said inking means comprises aliquid ink bath, and roller means for transferring ink from said bath toall said characters in .a given row simultaneously.

14. In a printer, a cylindrical type wheel having a plurality of spacedcharacters disposed closely adjacent to one another on the periphery ofsaid type wheel, a printing station including a plurality of hammersdisposed adjacent said .type wheel, a print receiving medium betweensaid hammers and said characters, means actuating selected one of saidhammers thereby to force selected portions of said medium into contactwith selected ones of said characters, and means disposed between saidmedium and said type wheel for maintaining portions of said mediumadjacent non-actuated ones of said hammers in spaced relation to saidcharacters, said lastnamed means including a plurality of supportingspacers disposed respectively "at each space between adjacent ones ofsaid plurality of spaced characters.

15 The combination of claim 14 "including an ink-ing station adjacentsaid type wheel at a position removed from said printing station, meansat said inlci-ng station fior applying liquid ink to said characters,and means for rotating said type wheel from said inking station to saidprinting station and thence back to said inking station.

16. In a printer, a cylindrical typewheel having a plurality of spacedcharacters on the periphery thereof, a printing station including aplurality of hammers disposed adjacent said typewheel, a print receivingmedium between said hammers and said characters, means actuatingselected ones of said hammers thereby to force selected portions of saidmedium into contact with selected ones of said characters, and meansdisposed between said medium and said typewheel for maintaining portionsof said medium adjacent nonactuated ones of said hammers in spacedrelation to said characters, said last-named means comprising aplurality of taut wires disposed in substantially parallel relation toone another and spaced from said typewheel adjacent said printingstation, said plurality of Wires being interposed respectively betweenadjacent ones of said spaced characters.

17. In a printer, a cylindrical typewheel having a plurality of spacedcharacters on the periphery thereof, said characters being disposedclosely adjacent to one another in a row extending substantiallyparallel to the axis of said typewheel, a printing station includingselectively actuated hammer means adjacent said row, a print receivingmedium between said hammer means and said characters, and means forsupporting portions of said medium in spaced relation to selected onesof said characters while permitting other portions of said medium to bedriven into engagement with other ones of said characters by said hammermeans, said last-named means comprising a plurality of spacers, each ofsaid spacers having a dimension, transverse to said row, which is nogreater than the spacing between adjacent characters in said row, saidspacers being disposed respectively at each space between adjacent onesof said plurality of spaced characters.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein adjacent ones of said charactersare disposed in staggered relation to one another in said row.

19. The combination of claim 17 including an ink bath, means forrotating said typewheel, and means for transferring ink from said bathto substantially all of said characters during rotation of saidtypewheel.

20. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having aplurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing stationincluding selectively actuatable hammer means, means for directing aprint receiving medium between said hammer means and said typecharacters whereby said hammer means when actuated moves associatedportions of said medium to be printed by selected ones of said typecharacters, and means for holding portions of such a print receivingmedium out of printing relation with certain unselected ones of saidtype characters while permitting other portions of said medium to bemoved by said hammer means to be printed by selected ones of said typecharacters, said holding means including a plurality of spacer meanspositioned at the spaces between adjacent ones of said spacedcharacters.

21. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type suport having aplurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing stationincluding a plurality of selectively actuable hammer means, means fordirecting a print receiving medium between said hammer means and saidtype characters whereby each of said hammer means when actuated moves anassociated portion of said medium into printing relation with a selectedone of said type characters, and means for holding out of printingrelation with an unselected one of said type characters that portion ofsuch a print receiving medium associated with an unactuated one of saidhammer means and adjacent to a portion associated with an actuated oneof said hammer means, said holding means permitting those portions ofsaid medium associated with an actuated one of said hammer means to bemoved by said actuated hammer means into printing relation with theselected ones of said type characters, said holding means including aplurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacent onesof said spaced characters.

22. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having aplurality of type characters spaced longitudinally thereon, andtransversely to the direction of rotation, a printing station includinga plurality of selectively actuatable hammer means, said hammer meansextending longitudinally of said type support and being associated withdifferent ones of said type characters, means for directing a printreceiving medium between said hammer means and said type characterswhereby each of said hammer means when actuated moves an associatedportion of said medium into printing relation with an associated one ofsaid type characters, and means for holding out of printing relationwith the associated one of said type characters that portion of such aprint receiving medium associated with an unactuated one of said hammermeans and adjacent to a portion associated with an actuated one of saidhammer means, said holding means permitting those portions of saidmedium associated with an actuated one of said hammer means to be movedby said actuated hammer means into printing relation with the associatedones of said type characters,

' said holding means including a plurality of spacer means positioned atthe spaces between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

23. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having aplurality of type characters spaced thereon, a. printing stationincluding selectively actuatable hammer means, means for rotating saidtype support to move said type characters across said printing station,means for feeding a print receiving medium between said hammer means andsaid type characters whereby said hammer means when actuated movesassociated portions of said medium into printing relation with aselected one of said type characters, and means for holding portions ofsuch a print receiving medium out of printing relation with certainunselected ones of said type characters while permitting other portionsof said medium to be moved by said hammer means into printing relationwith selected ones of said type characters, said holding means includinga plurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacentones of said spaced characters.

24. A printer comprising the combination of a rotatable type supporthaving a plurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing stationincluding selectively actuatable hammer means, means for rotating saidtype support to move said type characters across said printing station,an ink applying station spaced from said printing station and includingmeans for applying ink to said type characters during rotation of saidtype support, means for feeding a print receiving medium between saidhammer means and said type characters whereby said hammer means whenactuated moves associated portions of said medium into printing contactwith selected ones of said type characters, and means for holdingportions of such a print receiving medium out of contact with certainunselected ones of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 725,328 'Dunlany Apr. 14, 1903 1,158,545 Ocumpaugh Nov.2, 1915 1,410,357 Adams Mar. 21, 1922 2,013,533 Buhler Sept. 3, 19352,686,470 Gore Aug. 17, 1954 2,692,551 Potter Oct. 26, 1954 2,720,832Luning Oct. 18, 1955

